Cultivating the Power of Saying ‘NO’

Student’s Name:
Instructor’s Name:
Course:
Date:
Cultivating the Power of Saying ‘NO’
According to a 2017 Federal Reserve report that was released in June, the U.S credit card debt had hit an all-time high of 1.021 trillion dollars (Lamagna 1). This new level had surpassed a previous 2008 report that had set the benchmark of the U.S credit card debt at 1.02 trillion dollars. In another study conducted by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) in the year 2014, 21.5 million individuals had struggled with substance abuse, alcohol being the leading culprit affecting at least 8 out of 10 of all the individuals that had a substance abuse problem in the US (American Addiction Centers 1). Usually, when statistics that paint a vivid picture of the dire situation of a particular situation is quoted, there is usually a high likelihood that the rest of the article or study will at some point call on the government to implement certain measures so as to remedy the situation. However, this will not be the direction of this speech. On the contrary, this speech will explore how personal decisions and responsibility are to blame for most challenges ailing the situation and also that the remedy can be achieved at a personal level.
An analysis of most behavior-related problems faced by individuals in the U.S and the world as a whole can usually be traced back to the development of certain habits which also trace back to simple decisions made in the day-to-day life of individuals.

For instance, the humongous credit card debt outlined above reflects the consumption behavior of the current U.S population which in turn can be traced to day-to-day consumption decisions of individuals. This is also the case for substance abuse, obesity, and gambling among much other behavior related habits that are unleashing havoc and chaos in the life of U.S citizens. The costs faced by the U.S population due to various behavioral problems faced are great and significantly affect the quality of life of the population. For instance, the costs associated with substance abuse as per a government report were approximated to be more than 740 billion dollars (National Institute on Drug Abuse 1). These costs are associated with healthcare costs, crime, and the opportunity cost of productivity due to substance abuse.
The facts brought to light in the above paragraph with regards to the cost of various behavioral aspects of the U.S population indicate a need for change in their behavioral patterns. While government measures are key in limiting access to and availability of particular illegal drugs, a proactive attitude among individuals will also go a long way to bring the required change and improve the quality of life among households. It is every citizen’s duty to initiate the process of doing away with negative habits and replacing them with desired positive habits. For this to take place, people should be willing to cultivate their ability to say ‘NO’ be it to friends and loved ones or even themselves when it comes to over-indulgence or participation in activities that negatively affect their lives. There are various studies that have shown a correlation between positive habits and success (Kohyama 1). A good example is a correlation between physical activity and academic success (Pellicer-Chenoll et al., 1; NCBI Resources 1).
For us to gain the motivation to undertake the suggested change that will require discipline and sacrifice, it is critical to evaluate the expected outcome to determine whether the outcome is worth the process. Therefore, I hereby call upon each member of the audience to visualize on the kind of life they would love to live and the various aspects that are hindering them from achieving it. Then each person should ask themselves whether their vision is worth the sacrifice needed.
I hereby call upon each member in the audience to make a decision to strive towards a better life that possesses the qualities they visualized. While perfection may not be achieved, striving towards it every day is a sure way of living a conscious life and also avoiding mediocrity.
Works Cited
American Addiction Centers. Statistics on Drug Addiction. American Addiction Centers Website, 2018. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/addiction-statistics/
National Institute on Drug Abuse. Trends and Statistics. National Institute on Drug Abuse Website, 2017. https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics
Lamagna, M. Americans now have the highest credit-card debt in U.S. history. MarketWatch.com Website, 2017. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-households-will-soon-have-as-much-debt-as-they-had-in-2008-2017-04-03
Kohyama, J. Good daily habits during the early stages of life determine success throughout life. Science Direct Website, 2016. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1984006316300748
Pellicer-Chenoll, M. et al. Physical activity, physical fitness and academic achievement in adolescents: a self-organizing maps approach. Oxford Academic Health Education Research, 2015. https://academic.oup.com/her/article/30/3/436/562476
NCBI Resources. Physical Activity, Fitness, and Physical Education: Effects on Academic Performance. NCBI Resources Website, 2013. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201501/